Method of condensing flue-dust.



No. 552,045 Patented lune I9, 1900.

R. BUE TSCHI.

METHOD OF GUNDENSING FLUE DUST.

(Application filed Nov. 3, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

W WITNESSES k A TTOHNEYS THE woflms PETERS co., PHoTo-Lmmn WASHINGYDN, o. c

No. 652,045. Patented lun I9, 1900. n. RUETSCHI.

METHOD OF GONDENSING FLUE DUST.

(Application filed Nov. 3, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

/N VENTOH A TTOHNEYS No. 652,045. Patented June 19, I900. R, RUETSCHI.

METHOD OF GONDENSING FLUE DUST. (Appliczition filed Nov. 3, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F W F 8 H mm 8 NITED ST TES,

RUDOLF RUETSOHI, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEWV. JERSEY.

METHOD OF CON'DENSING FLUE-DUST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,045, d t d J 19, 1900.

Original application filed August 25,1899, Serial No. 728,439. Divided and this application filed November 3,1899. SerialNo. 735,7M. (N0 model.)

ments in flue-dust condensation, Serial No.

728,439, filed by me on August 25, 1899.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method for precipitating and collecting the solid matter contained in the fumes emanating from metallurgical establishments, the method insuring a rapid and thorough separation and precipitation of the solid matter from the gases.

The method consists in cooling the fumes in narrow channels under exclusion of air by an external cooling medium, to precipitate a portion of the solid matter in the fumes, then mixing the more or less cooled fumes to equalize their temperatures, then again cooling the fumes under exclusion of air by an external cooling medium, then compressing the fumes and mixing the same with air, and then dividing and expanding the mixture and giving it a whirling motion in closed receptacles and at the same time cooling the mixture by an external cooling medium to cool the mixture and precipitate the remaining solid matter.

In order to carry this method into effect, I prefer to make use of the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings and presently to be described in detail.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of one of the cooling devices, the section being on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same with parts in section. Fig. at is a side elevation of the improved apparatus with part in section. Fig. 5 is an en larged transverse section of the mixing device, the section being on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section of the cooling device on the line 6 6 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the main suction and distributingfau. Fig. Sis an enlarged sectional side elevation of one of the cooling and precipitating devices. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 10 is a like View of a modified form of the same, and Fig. 11 is asiinilar View of another modified form of the same.

The fumes emanating from the furnace are led by means of brick or sheet-metal fines into a cooling device A (shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 6) and provided with a series of longitudinally-extending narrow chambers 13, spaced apart to form air-spaces O for air to pass through from the bottom in an upward direction, the air upon being heated by coming in contact with the casings of the chambers B rising rapidly and passing out of the top of the device. The lower ends of the several chambers 13 open into hoppers D, provided at their lower ends with gates D and opening into a conveyer-casing E, having a suitable conveyer-belt E for carrying the solid matter to one end of the casing E to be discharged therefrom through a suitable outlet E (See Fig. 4.) The conveyor -belt passes over end pulleys E and the lower run thereof also passes over supporting-pulleys E, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The fumes in passing into the cooling device A are distributed through the several chambers B and are cooled therein by an externally-circulating cooling medium in the form of atmospheric air, so that a portion of the solid matter contained in the fumes is condensed and precipitated or caused to adhere to the walls of the chambers B.

In order to remove the matter from the walls of the chambers, I prefer a knocking device (shown in detail in Fig. 2) for causing the solid matter to fall down into the hoppers D and accumulate on the gates thereof, the gates being opened fromtime to time to discharge the accumulated solid matter upon the conveyer-belt E for delivery to the discharge E as above explained. The knocker referred to consists, essentially, of a transverse rod F, of which there are several for the device A, and this rod is connected with the chambers B, at or near the middle thereof, and one outer end of the rod is pivotally connected with a lever F, fulcrumed on a bracket F secured to the framework of the device A. A spring F is secured with one end to the rod, the other end abutting on the bracket F so that when a lever F is swung outward said spring is depressed, and when the operator suddenly releases the lever F then the spring suddenly forces the rod back to its former position, thus giving a sudden shock to the side walls of the chambers and causing the solid matter adhering to the inner faces of. the walls to drop down into the hoppers D. The inlets G for the air-spaces 0 meat theupper ends of the hoppers D, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 3.

The forward ends of the chambers 13 open into a flue G, leading to a pipe H, into which the fumes pass after they are somewhat cooled, in the chambers 13, and at the entrance of this pipe H is arranged a small mixing-fan I, adapted to be driven by the current of the fumes induced by the main fan, as hereinafter more fully described. The mixing-fan I serves to mix the fumes coming from the several chambers B, so that fumes of. a higher temperature are mixed with those of a lower temperature to equalize the temperature of the fumes as the same pass through the pipe H. The pipe H is provided at its bottom with a humber of hoppers H, leading to tubes H having gates H and opening into the con veyer-casin g E,the gates H being normally closed, so that any solid matter that may drop from the fumes while passing through the pipe H can accumulate on the gates until the latter are opened, and then the accumulated solid matter is discharged upon the con veyerbelt E. The end of the pipe H connects with a flue G, opening into a second cooling device A, similar in construction to the cooling device A, above referred to. The chambers B of this device are connected at their forward ends with a flue G opening into a pipe H containing a mixing-fan 1, similar to the fan I and for the same purpose. Any desired number of such cooling and mixing devices may be alternately connected with each other, and I do not limit myself to the two devices A A and H H shown in the drawings.

The end of the pipe H connects with a conical pipe J, containing an air-inlet K, having a suitable regulating-valve for controlling the amount of air passing into the pipe J to form a mixture of air and fumes. The apex end of the pipe J forms the suction-pipe for the main fan L, of any approved construction, for drawing the fumes through the several cooling devices A A and the mixing devices H I and H 1 and actuating the fans I I to compress the fumes in the pipe J and to mix atmospheric air with the compressed fumes. The mixture thus obtained is forced through tangential outletspipes L into cooling and precipitating cylinders N, in which the remaining solid matter is precipitated, and the exhaust-gases are discharged by pipes P, preferably into fume-arresters O of the wellknown Freudenberg or Prinz type. The main fan L is provided at its periphery at each pipe L with a segmental gate L forming when closed a part of the casing of the fan L, as shown in Fig. 7.

Each of the cooling and precipitating cylinders N is provided with an annular channel N, (see Figs. 8 and 9,) into which opens tangentially the corresponding pipe L, so that the mixture of fumes and air discharged into this channel N is free to expand and receives a whirling spiral motion in said chamber in a downward direction to finally pass at the lower end of the channel from the latter into the lower end of a second concentric channel N in which the mixture rises and passes at the upper end of this channel into a third concentric channel N to pass downward therein and finally pass into a central pipe N connected with the pipes P, previously mentioned.

The separating walls N for the several channels, the pipe N and the outer wall for the channel N are in the form of water-jackets,deriving their water-supply from a trough N into which opens a water-supply pipe R. The water-jacketed wall for the channel N is provided with an overflow-pipe R, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9.

The lower ends of the two channels N N open into a hopper N having outlet-ports N for discharging the accumulated solid matter from time to time, and asimilar hopper N is at the lower end of the channel N and the pipe N and this hopper connects by a pipe Q, having a gate Q, with a receptacle Q for receiving the solid matter-accumulating in the hopper N and discharged from time to time by the operator opening the gate Q.

By giving the mixture of air and fumes a whirling motion in the cooling and precipitating cylinders N in the manner described and at the same time expanding the mixture and bringing the same in contact with the cooled walls of the channels it is evident that a Very quick precipitation of the solid matter takes place, the exhaust-gases passing from the pipe N to the pipes P and the arresters O for further treatment, if deemed necessary. The pipes N may, however, open directly into the open air.

The cooling and precipitating cylinders may be of various constructions. For instance, as shown in Fig. 10, the cylinder S is provided with a circular channel S, opening at its lower end into a central pipe S Ahopper S is adapted to receive the solid matter from the channel S and pipe S and said channel S, pipe S and hopper S are preferably water-jacketed, as shown, and a waterinlet pipe R is connected with the lower end of the water-jacket.

The cooling and precipitating cylinder T (shown in Fig. 11) is provided with a number of concentric channels T T T and a central pipe T, arranged similarly to the channels N N N and the pipe N above referred to, the channels T T however, opening into a hopper T concentric with the hopper T for the channel T and the pipe T The hoppers T T connect by valved pipes T T with a receptacle Q having a valved outlet Q for discharging the solid matter from the receptacle Q whenever it is necessary.

The operation is as follows: When the main suction-fan L is set in motion, then the gases or fumes emanating from the furnace are drawn alternately through the cooling devices A A and the mixing devices H H As the gases enter a cooling device they are divided into a number of separate currents and passed through the narrow chambers, thus offeringa large cooling as well as a friction surface, the air passing upward and between the chambers to constantly reduce the temperature of the narrowly-confined gas-currents very evenly. Any flue-dust adhering to the sides of the narrow chambers B is removed from time to time by repeated knocking of the knocker referred to, so that the flue-dust collects in the respective hoppers below, from which it is removed from time to time, as above described. As the gases pass out of the cooling-chambers B into the mixing-pipe H they encounter the small fan I, which is agitated by the suction of the main centrifugal fan L, but which fan is not the full size of the pipe,and thus leaves considerable space between the ends of its blades and the periphery of the pipe, so that the passing gases receive partly a whirling and partly a centrifugal motion, by which action the cooler gases become mixed with the hotter gases before entering the cooling-chambers B of the nextfollowing cooling device A, in which the operation described with reference to the first cooling device is repeated. When the gases finally pass into the tube J by the suction action of the fan L, the gases are somewhat compressed and mixed, cooled, and diluted by the air passing through the pipe K into the pipe J. The mixture referred to is immediately expelled by the centrifugal force of the fan L through the tangentially-located pipes L, which are somewhat narrow, and

finally discharge the mixture into the large cooling and precipitating cylinders N to allow the mixture to expand and force it to travel in a spiral path, as described, to insure further cooling or friction action, so that the gases are finally discharged from the cylinders in nearly-exhausted condition.

By having a number of tangential outletpipes L from the fan L the main current is divided into a number of smaller currents of high velocity, each current entering its own cooling and precipitating cylinder, which offers a large cooling and friction area in a comparatively-small space.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The herein-described method for condensing flue-dust carried in fumes, consisting in cooling the fumes under exclusion of air, by an external cooling medium, to precipitate a portion of the solid matter in the fumes, then compressing the fumes and mixing the same with air, and then dividing and expandin g the mixture and giving each divided current a whirling motion under exclusion of air, and at the same time cooling the mixture by an external cooling medium, to precipitate the remaining solid matter, as set forth.

2. The herein-described method for condensing flue-dust carried in fumes, consisting in cooling the fumes under exclusion of air, by an external cooling medium, to precipitate part of the solid matter in the fumes,- then mixing the more or less cooled fumes to equalize their temperature, then again cooling the fumes under exclusion of air, by an external cooling medium, then compressing the fumes and mixing the same with air, and then dividing the mixture and giving it a whirling motion under exclusion of air, and at the same time cooling the mixture by an external cooling medium and precipitating the remaining solid matter, as set forth.

RUDOLF RUETSCHI.

Witnesses:

Tnno. G. Hosrnn, EVERARD BoLToN MARSHALL. 

